This invention relates to a rail-mounted mobile system such as a mobile storage system, and more particularly to an anti-tip arrangement for such a system.
A rail-mounted mobile system, such as a mobile storage system, includes one or more movable members supported on a series of spaced apart parallel rails. In a mobile storage application, the movable members are typically in the form of carriages having wheels that are supported on the spaced apart rails. A series of storage units, such as shelves or cabinets, are mounted to each carriage.
Various anti-tip arrangements are known for preventing the carriage-mounted storage units from tipping relative to the rails. One example of such an anti-tip arrangement is shown and described in Peterman U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,191, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The '191 patent discloses an anti-tip system in which a groove is formed in the side of the rail. An anti-tip member is carried by the carriage, and is pivotably mounted to the carriage for movement between an operative position and an inoperative position. In the operative position, a hook section of the anti-tip member is engaged within the groove in the rail. In the inoperative position, the hook section of the anti-tip member is positioned out of engagement with the groove in the rail. The anti-tip member further includes a retainer section which is adapted to receive a releasable retainer such as a pin, for selectively maintaining the anti-tip member in the operative position. The hook section and the retainer section are located on the same side of the pivot axis about which the anti-tip member is pivotable between the operative and inoperative positions. With this construction, the retainer section and the hook section hang downwardly when the anti-tip member is in the inoperative position. The anti-tip member is pivoted from the inoperative position to the operative position when the carriage is mounted to the rail, either by engaging the retainer section and applying an upward force or by engaging the hook section and applying an inward force. The retainer section of the anti-tip member is located over the rail, and access to the retainer section of the anti-tip member is complicated by the components of the carriage located vertically above the retainer section of the anti-tip member. The hook section is accessible from the side, which is also complicated by the components of the carriage. In addition, the hook member is located within a space defined between the rail and a base member to which the rail is mounted, and the base obstructs access to the hook member. Thus, in either case, it is difficult for a user to manipulate the retainer section of the anti-tip member in order to move the anti-tip member from the disengaged position to the engaged position, and to simultaneously engage the retainer pin with the retainer section of the anti-tip member when the anti-tip member is in the operative position.
In another construction, the rail includes an upwardly facing base or channel to which a support bar is mounted, to reduce the overall height of the rail. The channel includes a lip that extends inwardly toward the support bar. An anti-tip arrangement for this type of rail construction utilizes a C-shaped anti-tip member that is engaged with the carriage after the carriage is mounted to the rail. The anti-tip member includes an upper section that is mounted to the carriage, and a lower section that is received within the space defined between the lip of the channel and the lower wall of the channel, to prevent the carriage from tipping relative to the rail. While this arrangement is functional, it is disadvantageous in that the anti-tip member is separate from the carriage and is mounted to the carriage after the carriage is mounted to the rail.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an anti-tip arrangement for a mobile system, such as a mobile storage system, which provides quick and easy movement of an anti-tip member from an inoperative position to an operative position when the movable member is mounted to the support surface of the rail arrangement. It is a further object of the invention to provide such an anti-tip arrangement in which the anti-tip member is carried by the movable member, to eliminate the need for a separate anti-tip member which is engaged with the movable member subsequent to placement of the movable member on the rail arrangement. It is a further object of the invention to provide such an anti-tip arrangement in which separate areas of the anti-tip member are employed to move the anti-tip member to its operative position and to engage a releasable retainer arrangement with the anti-tip member for releasably retaining the anti-tip member in its operative position. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such an anti-tip arrangement which takes advantage of a channel-type rail construction for facilitating movement of the anti-lip member from its inoperative position toward its operative position.
In accordance with the present invention, a mobile system, such as a mobile storage system, includes a rail arrangement including a support surface and a laterally extending engagement area laterally offset from the support surface, in combination with a movable member adapted to be supported by the rail arrangement. The movable member engages the support surface of the rail arrangement for movably supporting the movable member on the rail arrangement. An anti-tip arrangement is interposed between the rail arrangement and the movable member. The anti-tip arrangement includes a pivotable anti-tip member carried by the movable member, which is pivotable about a pivot axis between an operative position and an inoperative position. The anti-tip member includes a hook section which is engageable with the engagement area of the rail arrangement to prevent tipping of the movable member relative to the rail arrangement. The anti-tip member further includes a tab or finger section that is spaced from the hook section, and which is adapted to be manually engaged by a user for placing the anti-tip member in the operative position. The anti-tip arrangement further includes a releasable retainer arrangement for releasably retaining the anti-tip member in the operative position. The hook section of the anti-tip member is located below and adjacent the engagement area of the rail arrangement when the anti-tip member is in the operative position. The tab or finger section of the anti-tip member is located above the laterally extending engagement area of the rail arrangement.
The releasable retainer arrangement includes a retainer section defined by the anti-tip member, and a releasable engagement member, such as a retainer pin, which is engageable with the retainer section and with the movable member for selectively maintaining the anti-tip member in the operative position. In a preferred embodiment, the retainer section and the tab or finger section of the anti-tip member extend in opposite directions from the pivot axis of the anti-tip member.
The rail arrangement may be in the form of an upwardly facing channel member to which a support bar is mounted. The support bar defines the support surface of the rail arrangement, and the channel member includes a side wall having an inwardly extending lip that defines the laterally extending engagement area of the rail arrangement. A space is located between the support bar and the inwardly extending lip. The anti-tip member is configured such that the tab or finger section engages the inwardly extending lip of the channel member as the movable member is moved into engagement with the support surface of the support bar, to move the anti-tip member toward the operative position from the inoperative position.
The invention contemplates a mobile storage system having an anti-tip arrangement as summarized above, as well as a method of engaging an anti-tip member with a rail arrangement in a mobile system and an improvement in a mobile system in which a movable member is movably supported on a rail arrangement, substantially in accordance with the foregoing summary.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.